Firms fined most by regulators still on UK government’s list of top suppliers

Observer reveals that companies are getting big contracts in spite of paying penalties for corruption or fraud

Companies that have paid hundreds of millions in fines and penalties, have defrauded Whitehall or have faced corruption investigations are among those making the most money from UK government outsourcing, the Observer can reveal.

Observer analysis of data from UK regulators has found the Strategic Suppliers, the 40 private companies that play the biggest role in running outsourced government services, have received well over 500m in financial penalties from regulators since 2010.